Hey, everybody! Sorry that I haven't updated in a while, but life's been kinda busy right now. I promise to continue updating as regularly as I possibly can, though.

I want to say thanks for the support I've been receiving. Reviews, follows, favourites, all of it. Thank you all so much and I hope that you all continue to read and enjoy the story. Please keep it up, because it truly does make my days brighter!

Anyways, enough of me rambling. Enjoy the chapter!


She glances back at Ash, Brock and Dawn with a worried expression on her face, "Tell me everything."

And that's how she spends her morning, listening to just what unfolded two days prior. They tell about how they found her around the side of the ruins passed out and that they brought her straight to the Pokemon Center. How Dawn lost her Contest and why Zoey's here. At the same time, she explains that she can't remember anything past the ruins and, as much as she wishes she could, can't remember what made her fall asleep in the first place.

However, as much as she's confused and honestly rather scared, she's just glad that she's alright, as are her ever supporting friends and Pokemon that are stood by her side. Knowing that, some of her fear diminishes, at least for now.


Casey sighs contently as she breathes in the fresh countryside air, glad for the opportunity to stretch her legs. Its been a couple of days since she woke up in the Pokemon Center, and she only really got out of the building this morning. She was condemned to her bed by Nurse Joy, who informed her that she had taken a significant knock to her head (something that the nurse picked up on whilst she assessed her for injuries). It was nothing serious, thankfully, but she still needed a couple of days to rest in order to be fighting fit and healthy again.

It wasn't all bad. She did have her Pokemon there with her along with her friends, and even Zoey stayed around for a couple of days to make sure that she was okay, which Casey thought was nice. Still, she'd be lying if she said that she didn't miss the fresh open air that she went without during the time that she was stuck indoors. This place sure has plenty of that.

"Ah!" She sighs, smiling over at Brock as they stroll up yet another hill in the expansive meadow, trailing just behind Ash and Dawn, "It sure is nice to get some fresh air after being stuck in the Pokemon Center these past couple of days! I can't wait to just kick back and relax in the fresh, open air!"

"I agree." Dawn chimes in with a nod, "This'll be the perfect time to kick back a bit and think about my next contest."

"Great! And I think I've found the place to do just that!" Brock says triumphantly, glancing up at them from the guide book in his hands with a gleeful look on his face. He looks proud of himself for some reason, though Casey's not exactly sure what that reason is.

"Where?"

"You just follow me!" Brock shouts cheerfully before beginning to run down the hill, flailing his arm about excitedly as he goes, "You're gonna love this place!"

"Wait, Brock! Slow down!"

Casey, Dawn and Ash rush after Brock as the excited boy rushes ahead of them, clearly unable to wait any longer to reach his destination. Casey's really confused as to where he's leading them considering that they're quite honestly in the middle of nowhere. She has no idea what could be all the way out here, but Brock seems to have found a place. At first, Brock's attempts to locate his place seem futile. Casey, Dawn and Ash are practically breathless from running after him for so long, and it's only when they see what appears to be small hut come into sight that they get the opportunity to slow down and catch their breath.

"Here we are! Presenting the Mountain Hut Maid Cafe!" Brock announces as they come to a halt just outside of the hut, his face still gleeful and teeming with excitement.

Casey takes a moment to observe their destination. A short, railed, stone staircase leads up to the quaint entrance to the red roof topped building; a bright pink sign with pictures of mugs and pitchers stands out boldly upon the front threshold of the building, which gives off a homely and comforting vibe. She can see why Brock was so excited to get here. It's a nice place.

"Maid Cafe?" Dawn muses, "I've never heard of it."

"Brock, how do you even find these kinds of place?" Casey chuckles, looking over at her overexcited friend with a smirk on her face.

"It's like a second home to me!" Brock cries out in protest, sounding somewhat offended at their responses to his destination. Before Casey can try to apologise to him, the former Gym Leader rushes forward and bursts through the front door of the Cafe.

"Brock, wait!"

The three of them follow their Pokemon Breeder friend inside of the Cafe and are instantly greeted warmly by three girls inside.

"Hello! Welcome home!"

Welcome home? What in the world are they on about?

Casey awkwardly makes her way inside of the Cafe, taking a seat at a cosy table in the corner of the room along with Ash and Dawn, who look equally as awkward and confused as she does.

"What do they mean, 'welcome home'?" Ash asks to Brock, who looks so enamoured by the girls that Casey's surprised when he responds to Ash.

"Oh, that?" He says excitedly as he sits down at the table with them, clearly giddy as he does so, "It's just their way of making you feel relaxed and comfortable as if you were at home."

Casey doesn't quite understand what Brock's going on about. She figures that it's nice that the people who work here are so welcoming, but Brock's infatuation with them is kinda off-putting. Then again, this is Brock that she's talking about. Should she really be surprised by how he's acting?

"Here you go." One of the girls, a girl with long purple hair, places four glasses of water on their table with a warm smile.

"Thanks." Casey replies politely as she reaches for her glass. She could really do with some water, especially after rushing after Brock. The whole ordeal left her rather parched. As she sips gratefully on the refreshing liquid, which really helps to quench her thirst, Brock wastes no time in attempting to get to know the girls, giddily asking for their names as he tries his best to come off as charming and cool.

"I'm Spring!" The purple haired girl introduces herself, before being followed shortly by the other two girls,

"Summer!"

The smallest girl of the three is the last to introduce herself, speaking to them in a chirpy voice, "Autumn!"

Casey still feels rather awkward about the whole situation, but she decides that she may feel less awkward if she introduces herself too. She figures that if they all know each other on a first name basis, it'll feel more like a group of acquaintances or friends talking as opposed to strangers - this place is supposed to feel like a second home, after all. She moves to introduce herself to the girls but before she gets the chance, Brock decides that now is the time for him to try and flirt with the girls, as he jumps up from his seat and moves to kneel down beside Spring and Summer, speaking to them in the most seductive voice he can muster.

"If you radiant beauties have some free time after work..."

And here we go!

Not to Casey's, Dawn's or Ash's surprise, Croagunk appears right on cue as per usual, the Toxic Mouth Pokemon delivering a decisive Poison Jab to Brock's lower back and incapacitating them before he can get to far with the girls. All three of them gasp in shock as they watch Croagunk pull an immobile Brock away from them, Spring being the first one to voice her concerns for the injured boy,

"Oh, dear! I hope he's alright!"

Dawn giggles, "With you three, I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Dawn's right." Casey adds with a reassuring smile, "Knowing Brock, he'll be rushing back here in just a few moments. He's got enough motivation to, at least."

Dawn and Casey's attempts to reassure the girls seem to work, as the three of them soon relax and change the topic of conversation. Spring looks back to them and offers them a warm smile as she addresses them politely, "So, what will it be?"

"Well, what's looking good today?"

"Our speciality is our farm fresh Miltank Milk." Autumn chimes in, a certain tone of pride in her voice as she supplies them with an answer. Casey's had Miltank Milk before, and from what she remembers it's a delicious beverage. Now she knows exactly what she'll be ordering.

Brock reappears then, rushing towards Spring and Summer and speaking to them with his 'seductive' voice once again, "So true!"

Casey simply deadpans whilst Ash and Dawn both fake out, neither of them overly surprised at his persistent attempts to seduce the girls. It's what Brock does. It's just a shame that he never realises when his attempts aren't working out. It would save him a lot of embarrassment and Poison Jabs to the back, that's for sure.

Still, at least Brock realises rather quickly that this attempt at talking to the girls isn't working out for him, as it's not long before he takes a seat at the table once again, sharing his wisdom on the subject of Miltank Milk with his friends,"Miltank Milk is bursting with vitamins. Nothing could be healthier to drink."

"Brock's right." Casey agrees, "My Grandpa used to order in Miltank Milk for me when I was little. I used to love the stuff. I'm sure that it tastes as good as ever."

"Well, in that case, a round for me and my Pokemon, then!" Ash says fervently, taking Casey and Brock's praise as a good sign.

"Me and my Pokemon, too!" Dawn adds, just as enthusiastic about trying the beverage as Ash is.

Casey echoes their sentiments quickly, also eager to try out some Miltank Milk again. Its been a while since she last had it, and her Pokemon have never even tried it themselves, so she's excited for them to give it a try.

"In that case, I think it's time for a trip to the barn." Spring says as she turns for the door, glancing back at Casey and her friends as she begins to walk towards it, "Follow me."


"What are we waiting for exactly?" Ash asks as he and the others stand just outside of a barn at the top of one of the many grassy hills that stand tall throughout the meadow. He looks over at Spring, who's stood just ahead of the group with a small golden bell in her hand, "What's that bell for, Spring?"

"To call in the Miltank, of course!" Autumn quips, answering Ash's question for her older sister with enthusiasm, "You can't have Miltank Milk with any Miltank!"

Shortly after Autumn provides them with an explanation, Spring puts the bell to use by ringing it loudly, calling out to nobody in particular as she rings it, "Alright! We've got some thirsty customers! Time to come in!"

It's not long before Casey and the others see three Miltank rushing towards them from within the meadow, the three of them chirping excitedly as they approach. From their quick response to the bell, Casey figures that they must be well trained Pokemon. Why else would they respond to the ring of a bell so quickly and efficiently?

"Awesome! Look at 'em go!"

Casey chuckles lightly at Ash's zealous reaction to the approaching Pokemon. The Pallet Town native is so ecstatic that he wastes no time in reaching into his pocket to withdraw his Pokedex, scanning in the date for the Miltank as they reach the barn.

"Miltank, the Milk Cow Pokémon. It is widely known that drinking Miltank milk when you're young helps you grow up to be strong and healthy."

"That must be why your Grandpa gave you Miltank Milk when you were little, Casey." Dawn remarks, "That sure was smart of him."

Casey laughs again, considering another alternative to why her Grandpa might've given her the milk, "I don't know, Dawn. Knowing my Grandpa, he probably kept ordering it in because it was delicious. He's a smart man, but he's also a big fan of food."

"Well, Miltank Milk is delicious." Spring chimes in as the Miltank move to stand in front of them, the Milk Cow Pokemon standing before them in a perfectly ordered line. Spring begins pointing out the Miltank to them, "Those two Miltank are mine, and that one right there is Summer's."

One thing that Casey notices straight away is that none of the Miltank belong to Autumn, a fact which catches her off guard. She'd expect at least one of the Miltank to belong to her, and it seems that Dawn expects that too, as the bluenette is the one who turns towards the youngest milkmaid and voices her confusion, "Autumn, what about you?"

"I actually do have a Miltank, but..."

Her voice trails off when Ash calls out suddenly, excited as he witnesses the Miltank walk inside the barn without even being asked to. Brock remarks that it's a sign that the Miltank have been well trained, a statement which Casey wholeheartedly agrees with. The Miltank definitely have been well trained, but Casey still can't help but wonder where Autumn's Miltank is. She wants to ask the young milkmaid that very question, but she doesn't really get the chance to before Spring speaks up once again, inviting all of them inside the barn,

"Come on in, everybody!"


"Here! Your fresh milk."

Casey reaches out for one of the glasses of freshly sourced Miltank Milk that Spring's offering out to herself and her friends fervently, eager to finally have some of the beverage that she hasn't drank in so long. Her friends are just as eager, and within just a few moments the four of them have fully drank their glasses of milk.

"That was delicious!" Casey says delightfully, placing her glass back on the tray that Spring's extending out to them and smiling at the kind milkmaid, "Thanks a lot, Spring! I'm sure that my Pokemon will love it!"

Ash echoes her sentiment, as do Brock and Dawn, and the latter of the three wastes no time in giving all of his Pokemon the chance try out the delicious beverage, "Okay, time for a milk break!"

Both Brock and Dawn follow suit, and soon the entire barn is full up with excitable Pokemon who are all just as eager to try the Miltank Milk out as their trainers were. Casey knows that her own Pokemon will be just as excited and decides to bring them out as well,

"Let's go, everybody!"

She throws four Pokeballs up into the air with gusto, and mere moments later, her Pokemon materialise out of their capsules in bright flashes of light, appearing before her with gleeful expressions on their faces.

"So, who's ready to try some Miltank Milk?"

All of her Pokemon cheer enthusiastically about the idea, and Shellos even goes so far as to leaping up onto Casey's shoulder, taking her usual spot with a gleeful chirp, "You're excited, huh?"

"Shell!" The Sea Slug Pokemon coos, nuzzling the side of her squidgy face against her trainers affectionally.

Casey chuckles and tries to brush off the persistent Pokemon playfully, "Hey, cut it out, wil-?"

"That's not it!"

She stops abruptly when a shrill voice sounds throughout the barn. Even Shellos stops her attempts to gain Casey's attention as her trainer glances over in the direction of the shrill voice, finding a rather disgruntled looking Autumn talking to Ash, Dawn and Brock.

"The truth is that Ilta's one selfish Miltank!" She whines, "And she's not even that cute so I'm just starting to think that I'll let her go!"

Casey frowns when she realises what Autumn's saying. She can't just get rid of a Pokemon because it's not cute or doesn't listen to her. Owning a Pokemon means that you're responsible for training and taking care of it. You can't just discard your Pokemon if it doesn't work out.

Brock, being the conscious Pokemon Breeder that he is, is quick to call Autumn out for her rather selfish remark, "You can't do that. Giving up on your Miltank without first taking time to get to know her and understand her is no good for either of you."

"Wow, Brock! You certainly are a wise man." Spring says with an impressed tone in her voice.

"Thanks!" Brock replies, "I'm working to be a top Pokemon Breeder, so I really think that I can help Autumn work out any problems with her Miltank."

Autumn seems slightly taken aback by Brock's offer of assistance, but the young milkmaid nevertheless accepts his offer for help, remarking that she's really struggling to get her Miltank to listen to her. In fact, all of this talk about Pokemon training gives Casey an idea.

"We have a ton of customers, so lets go!" Summer calls out to her sisters from just outside the barn, beckoning them over with a wave.

"I'm coming!" Spring calls back, instantly ready to spring into action in order to help out her sister. As she begins to walk out of the barn, she turns to look back at Autumn with a smile, "Why don't you stay and listen to some of Brock's wisdom, Autumn?"

Autumn is quick to agree with her sisters suggestion, clearly more interested in working alongside Brock than her sisters. As Casey watches Spring make her way towards the door, she decides that now is the time to act. With Shellos still sat on her shoulder, she rushes forward and after Spring, catching the milkmaid just before she leaves the barn,

"Hey, Spring, wait!" She says, the kind milkmaid turning towards her immediately to hear what she has to say, "Could I ask you a favour?"


"Alright, you two! I want you both to give it your all, okay?"

Both Pokemon respond enthusiastically to their trainer whilst they keep their eyes fixed on each other, both of them poised and ready to execute an attack. She can see the fire present in both of their eyes, prompting her on to give them their commands.

"Shellos, use Water Pulse!" She calls out, "And, Dratini, you use Dragon Rage!"

Shellos opens her mouth wide as a large blue orb of water materialises from it, the small Sea Slug Pokemon taking the time to charge up the power of the orb whilst Dratini prepares her own attack. The Dragon Pokemon lunges her neck backwards as she too charges up the power of her attack. She lunges her neck forwards moments later and unleashes ferocious swirling cyclone of purple energy at her opponent. Shellos counters with her full charged Water Pulse; both attacks meet in the middle and combat one another with equals amounts of strength, resulting in both attacks dissipating in a small cloud of mist just moments later, their combined strengths cancelling one another out with ease.

"That was excellent, you two!" She praises, "Be sure to keep it up and we'll have that third Gym Badge in the bag!"

Both Pokemon chirp back to their trainer appreciatively before getting right back to their training, practicing their attacks just as they were before. Casey smiles at the sight before turning around and looking over at Monferno and Electabuzz, the two Pokemon getting into a bit of training of their own. The two quasi-rivals are firing attack after attack at one enough as they engage in what looks like a heated battle, both trying to out compete the other. To an outsider looking in, it would look as if the two Pokemon were trying to destroy each other, but Casey knows that's just how they operate. She finds it awesome that her Pokemon can challenge each other to the extent that they can improve just by training alongside each other.

"Your attacks are looking great, guys! Keep it up!"

She sits back on the bristly grass blades with a sigh, content with sitting and watching her Pokemon train for the time being. She had asked Spring if there was any place in the meadow that she and her Pokemon could get in some training, and after Kindly offering them all another round of Miltank Milk, which Casey and her Pokemon graciously accepted without so much as a second thought, showed them a place in the meadow that was ideal for training in. It's not too far away from the cafe or the barn, but it's far enough that a peaceful silence is settled around the expansive grassy area.

She's grateful for the opportunity to train with her Pokemon because it's a much needed distraction. She's felt kinda off since the whole incident back in Solaceon Town, not that she'd admit that to anybody. She doesn't understand why she can't remember what happened to her. Sure, she hit her head, but she feels as if that's not it. She feels uneasy just thinking about it, which doesn't make any sense because she can't remember it at all. None of it makes sense to her, and it's honestly absolutely terrifying.

Something must've happened to me, but what was it? Come on, Casey, remember. Just remember. JUST remember.

"Agh!" She screams in frustration at her taunting thoughts, massaging the side of her aching head with her hand as she stares down at the grass, "I can't remember..."

I can't remember. I have to remember. Why can't I remember?

"Mon?"

She looks up to find her Pokemon stood before her, grave expressions of concern plastered across their faces. She doesn't blame them for looking so concerned - that outburst really did come out of nowhere. She looks at them apologetically, "I'm sorry, everybody. I...I don't know where that came from. I shouldn't have yelled like that."

Her face goes a deep shade of red as she looks back at her Pokemon in embarrassment. She's supposed to be the trainer - why is she allowing herself to freak them out like this? Despite her worries, it seems that her Pokemon aren't remotely fazed by her sudden outburst. In fact, what they do next really makes her laugh.

Monferno begins to jump about lightly, almost as if he's performing a small comedic dance for his trainer. Dratini and Shellos are quick to follow suit, moving in synchronisation with Monferno and chanting playfully as they go. Finally, the more reserved Electabuzz joins in with the folly, and by the end of their dance Casey's frustration is long forgotten, being replaced with a fit of laughter and good will.

"Thank-you...you guys." She manages to gasp out between her giggles, eventually settling down once again with a smile plastered upon her face, "I really needed that, so thanks."

"Casey!"

She turns around hastily when she hears a voice call out to her, jumping up immediately when she spots both Ash and Dawn rushing towards her. She looks at them with concern as they breathlessly approach, "You guys, what's going on?"

"It's...It's..."

"It's what, Ash?" Casey asks, not picking up on what her inaudible and breathless friend is trying to say, "What's going on?"

"Casey, it's Brock!" Dawn manages to gasp out, pausing briefly to collect herself before continuing on, "He's in trouble!"

Trouble? What did he do? This can't be good!

As much as she wants to know what's going on, she knows that the priority right now is helping Brock out. Help first, ask questions later. That's the ideology she's choosing to go by right now.

"Well, what are we waiting for then?" She replies, already reaching into her pockets for the correct Pokeballs to return her Pokemon, "Let's go help him!"


"Hey, Brock! Autumn!"

Casey sighs in relief when her friends come into sight, both of them appearing to be unharmed. They've been searching the meadow for a fair while at this point, and it was appearing that their attempts to locate Brock were becoming futile. It really is a relief that they've finally managed to find their friend. That relief is short lived however, as upon closer inspection, Casey comes to realise who exactly Brock and Autumn are facing off against.

She comes to a stop beside Brock, who's holding onto Happiny, and Autumn, who's stood alongside her Miltank, albeit out of breath, but she soon forgets her breathlessness when she looks at the people stood before them, "Team Rocket! I should've known!"

The notorious evil-doers are stood alongside their prized hot air balloon, both Seviper and Carnivine out of their Pokeballs and alongside their trainers. It becomes clear that Casey, Ash and Dawn just interrupted what would've been a Pokemon battle, no doubt. A Pokemon battle that both Ash and Casey intend on winning, with the former being the first to spring into action out of the two, "Alright, Turtwig, I choose you!"

He throws a single Pokeball out in front of him with gusto, the bubbly Tiny Leaf Pokemon materialises from the device and landing comfortably on the grass below. Casey decides to follow her friends lead and withdraws a single Pokeball from her pocket, throwing it out in front of her with just as much determination as Ash did before her, "Let's go, Dratini!"

The. Dragon Pokemon bursts out of her capsule with a fierce battle cry, poised and ready to fight alongside Turtwig almost immediately. Ash is the first to act out of the two trainers, calling out a command to his Pokemon with a fiery determination in his voice, "Try Energy Ball! Focus your energy fast!"

The small leaves atop of Turtwig's head begin to glow brightly as the Tiny Leaf Pokemon begins charging up the green ball of energy at the front of its mouth, doing its best to form a powerful attack.

"Hit it!"

Turtwig fires off its charged up attack with as much strength as it can muster. The green orb of energy rushes towards their opponents, though the attack ends up falling just short of them and landing on the ground with a pitiful thud without so much as intimidating them.

"Nuts!" Ash groans as Team Rocket looks back at him in bemusement. They clearly expected a different outcome to Turtwig's attack, "Still no good!"

Casey can't help but feel sorry for Ash at that moment. He's been working so hard with Turtwig to perfect that Energy Ball, but they just keep falling short every time. Regardless, she knows that if Ash and Turtwig can't handle this, then it's about time that her and Destiny give it a shot themselves.

"Alright, Dratini...!"

"Hold on!" Brock calls out, stopping Casey's mid sentence. She turns towards her Pokemon Breeder friend, interested in hearing what he has to say, "Now, a tag battle with Autumn and me as a team will strengthen the bond between her and Ilta."

I suppose that makes sense. Who am I kidding? It's Brock we're talking about! Of course it makes sense.

"Alright then, Brock." She says, taking a step back as she puts all of her confidence in Brock and his convictions, "It's all yours."

Brock nods back before turning back to Team Rocket, both him and Ilta poised and ready to go as Jessie makes the first move. She thrusts her hand out towards them with vigour, ordering her Pokemon to attack with her usual overconfident bravado, "Seviper, use Poison Tail!"

"Happiny, use Pound!"

The adorable Playhouse Pokemon leaps out of Brock's arms and counters Seviper with an intensely powerful Pound attack, her incredible yet unusual strength sending the Fang Snake Pokemon flying back and onto the ground with a loud thud, much to its trainers chagrin.

"Carnivine, Bite, go!" James calls out, acting on Jessie's loss with a quick and decisive counter attack.

Carnivine lunges towards Autumn's Miltank with its large, snappy mouth wide open, it's jaws ready to clamp down on its opponent as soon as it's in range. Autumn reacts surprisingly quick to James' counter strike, and calls out a command before Carnivine can even get close, "Ilta, use Tackle, go!"

The usually stubborn Milk Cow Pokemon surprisingly listens to her trainer and rushes towards her opponent at a shockingly rapid pace. She reaches Carnivine in mere moments and, using her immensely heavy weight for added strength, smashes into the side of the unsuspecting Bug Catcher Pokemon, causing it to meet the same fate that Seviper did just moments before.

"Wow!" Autumn gasps as she watches her partner Pokemon in complete and utter awe, "Ilta is actually listening to my commands!"

Casey has to admit that she's highly impressed by Autumns Miltank. Why, just a couple of hours ago, the youngest milkmaid was whining about how stubborn and disobedient her Miltank was to her, and now look at her! Whatever Brock did to help Autumn get Ilta under control sure did the trick.

"Happiny, use Pound again!"

Happiny totters over to their struggling opponents and strikes them firmly with one of her stubby hands, sending Jessie, James, Meowth and their Pokemon high up into the air. All it takes is for Autumn to come in and give Ilta one final command for it all to end, "Ilta, use Rollout!"

The Milk Cow Pokemon pulls herself into a large ball. She leaps up into the air briefly before landing back down on the grass, charging up her power by spinning at an incredible speed. Ilta surges forward and goes barrelling into their soaring enemies, her intense power sending them blasting off high up into the sky and out of sight just moments later.

"Ilta, we won!" Autumn cheers triumphantly as she rushes towards her Miltank, hugging her fiercely and praising her for her performance in battle.

Casey watches on with a fond smile on her face, both proud and glad for Autumn and Ilta. Watching the two of them together really puts things into perspective for her. If Autumn can get past the adversary in her life, then what's stopping her from doing the same? With those thoughts in mind, Casey knows that she can get through all of the trials that she'll undoubtedly face from here on out, especially with her Pokemon and friends right there beside her cheering her on through it all.

She just knows it.